Tokyo: Japan's Northern island of Hokkaido was rocked on September 26 by the strongest earthquake to hit anywhere in the world this year - a magnitude 8.0 temblor that injured more than 240 people - which forced the evacuation of 41,000 others and blacked out 16,000 homes.

The quake, which hit just before dawn, was followed by two strong aftershocks and several small tsunami waves.

Most of the injuries were caused by glass from shattered windows and falling objects in homes.

Officials said at least two people suffered serious injury, but most of the other injuries reported initially were minor.

A 61-year-old man cleaning up broken beer bottles on a street immediately after the quake was hit by an oncoming car and died, Hokkaido police said. There were no reports of other quake-related deaths.

The quake struck at 04:50 hours (local time) and was centred in the Pacific about 100 km off Hokkaido's Eastern shore. Japan's Central Meteorological Agency initially estimated the quake's magnitude at 7.8, but later revised that to 8.0.

That would make it the most powerful to hit anywhere in the world this year.

A powerful aftershock of magnitude 7.0 followed shortly after 06:00 hours, and another hit at about 08:00 hours.

The government warned residents to avoid coastal areas due to the possibility of tsunami, or ocean waves caused by seismic activity.

Agencies